The Fast and the Furious
by Classic Cowboy
Summary: KFP/Sonic the Hedgehog crossover. Two years after the defeat of Tai Lung, a powerful Empire invades the Valley. Now Po and the Furious Five must team with some new friends and old enemies to save not only the Valley, but the whole world.
1. Chapter 1

**Sonic the Hedgehog © Team Sonic and SEGA**

**Kung Fu Panda © DreamWorks Pictures**

**The Freedom Fighters © DiC Entertainment**

_My friend, The Panda will never fulfill his destiny, nor you yours until you let go of the __**illusion of control**__. Look at this tree, Shifu. I cannot make it blossom when it suits me nor make it bear fruit before its time. No matter what you do the seed will grow to a peach tree. You may wish for an apple or an orange, but you will get a peach. _– Master Oogway.

---

In Zengchong, a small village on the edge of the Valley of Peace, life went on as always. Farmers were in the fields while the small village became active with trade and commerce. Little did any of the villagers know that things would change in a matter of moments.

"What's that?" a little bunny asked, pointing to the sky in the middle of the busy street. Villagers stopped when a dark shadow formed over the village and looked up where the child was pointing.

"I've never seen anything like it …" a pig stated as they all stared at the gigantic, red-and-gold ship.

It came to a stop, floating in the air over the village before portions of the bottom opened. "What's it doing?" a goose asked before balls of fire dropped like comets, slamming into buildings and exploding violently.

Villagers ran screaming in terror before large, egg-shaped objects dropped, slamming into the ground. The larger ones opened, and black, metallic humanoids with large, oval heads and single, red eyes marched out. Finally, a single, smaller robot dropped from the flying ship. It was gold and blue in color with two glowing red eyes, and rockets surrounded by curved, blue spines attached to its back.

"All biological creatures line up peacefully and prepare for robotization." The blue robot growled as it stood up before the stunned, horrified villagers. "Do not run. Do not fight. Resistance is futile."

Panic raged as the robots grabbed the villagers and threw them into the smaller egg-like containers. "Go! Fly to the Jade Palace! Get help!" the leader of the village said to a small goose, who took flight toward the east.

He flapped his wings and panted, flying as fast as he could but came to a sudden stop when a blue blur that was the head robot flashed before him. "No escape," the robot growled as its pointed, metal fingers closed around the goose's neck.

"Resistance…" The robot repeated as it carried the goose back to the devastated village. "...is futile."

"Dr. Robotnik," the blue robot spoke through a communication device. "Village has been secured. Robotization about to begin."

"Excellent, Metal…" a booming voice spoke through the com on the robot's arm. "I'm sending down the full assault force. Proceed to the Jade Palace, priority targets are the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior."

"Affirmative."

**Sonic the Hedgehog**

**Kung Fu Panda**

**THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS**

**Chapter I: The New Master**

Po the Dragon Warrior, or Master Panda as many of the Jade Villagers called him, sat peacefully lotus style under the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, watching the sun begin to rise in the distance.

His jade eyes widened from a flash of light, and a wave covered the valley, replacing the huts and plant life with cold, steel plates and smoking factories, the sky black with smog. "What the…"

"A great evil is coming to our valley, Po," Po turned to see Master Oogway standing beside him, looking gravely over the twisted landscape.

"You cannot defeat this on your own, my friend," the tortoise placed his hand on the panda's shoulder and smiled softly. "But if you trust in your friends, allies, and even enemies, the coming war will be in your favor."

"But you must remember," the tortoise looked back up at the sky. "Homes can be rebuilt, new lands found elsewhere. What matters is what you take with you every step of every day."

"I don't understand, Master," Po asked the aged master in confusion. "What can I do?"

"I don't know…" Oogway worked his mouth a moment. "I am not the legendary warrior, who is spoken of in legends, whose Kung Fu is the stuff of legends."

"That was in a dream, one single dream. Won't you let me live that down, Master?" Po closed his eyes with a groan.

Oogway studied the chunky panda for a moment before shaking his head with a smile. "No," the old master chuckled at the young Kung Fu master. "Now, you must awaken; it is almost time for the gong, and you know the importance of today. Good luck, my friend."

Po snapped his eyes open and looked at the sundial in the window. "Oh, I've got ten more minutes till the gong." Po mumbled before rolling to the side. "Five more minutes and I'll… wait, window?" He shot up to a seated position and looked around. "Oh no."

He suddenly recalled he had spent the night in his old room above his father's noodle shop, which meant he had less than ten minutes to make it up the steps to the Jade Palace.

He screamed loudly before jumping from his bed, making sure his black-and-gold, dragon-print slacks were on properly, screamed again and ran full force out of his room, tripping down the steps to the kitchen.

"Good Morning, my big, brave Dragon Warrior," Ping smiled proudly from where he was preparing noodles.

"Hi, Dad! Bye, Dad!" Po said as he rushed out through the dining area, dodging his dad's customers, chanting 'sorry, excuse me, thousand pardons', as he ran. He made it to the steps and took a deep breath, lifted his belly, which was far less flabby than it used to be, and started his climb.

---

"Good morning, Master!" The Furious Five said in unison as they stepped outside into the hall of the Jade Palace before the waiting Grand Master Shifu.

"Good morning, students," Shifu responded, eyes going to the room across from Tigress'. "PANDA!"

"Master Panda stayed with his father last night, Master," Crane explained, and Shifu nodded.

"He's probably already at the training ground," Shifu mumbled before glancing to the room just past Tigress'. "And speaking of which… RABBIT!"

"Oh, no!" a soft, feminine voice squeaked, and a short, brown rabbit with long ears hanging behind her head hopped out, flushing with embarrassment. "Master Shifu, I'm so sorry; I was so nervous about today that I couldn't sleep and…"

"Perhaps Master Panda should fail you right now since you couldn't awaken with the rest of us," Tigress growled at the timid, fourteen-year-old bunny. "If I were your master, I'd…"

"But you are _not_ her master, Master Tigress," Shifu said, stepping up to the rabbit. "You've worked very hard, Cream. Master Panda has given you great praise."

"T-Thank you, Master Shifu," Cream bowed timidly.

"As for your punishment, it will be issued after your final test with your Master," Shifu said sternly, causing the bunny to duck her head slightly. "Your performance will help Master Panda and I determine the best punishment for your insubordination."

"Y-Y-Yes, Master Shifu," Cream whimpered.

"Let us go. Your Master waits to administer your final test," Shifu said, turning and walking down the hall with the Five plus one trailing behind.

It was hard for Shifu to believe that the young rabbit could so soon be ready to be named a master at her age, but her sharp mind and Po's surprisingly excellent teaching skill had made her rapidly increase her skill to just below the Five.

There was some strife two years ago when Shifu announced that Po would be taking Cream as an apprentice, when none of the Five were allowed a personal student. Crane, Viper, and Monkey relented the quickest, agreeing that Po would be best to train the young one. Mantis took a little more than a week to give in and start speaking to Panda again.

Tigress was a different story all together, and Shifu still frowned at the thought. From the beginning of Cream's training under Po, Tigress had criticized Po's teaching method. She had attempted to point out flaws in Po's styles and techniques, many of which Po successfully countered, causing Tigress to storm off in a huff.

And then there was the harsh treatment of Po's student. While she had bonded well with the other Five, Viper especially, it seemed that everything she did irritated the tiger to no end. Tigress jumped on every little mistake, to the point that the poor bunny was horrified of the Tiger Style master.

Shifu had sat her down many times, reminding her that helping Po with his training of Cream was more than welcome. It was even requested by the Dragon Warrior himself, but what she was doing was not helping at all. Sometimes, these sessions ended peacefully, with Tigress apologizing, saying she was only attempting to help, while others led her to exploding, pointing out that weak treatment would only give the bunny a weakness of character and skill. The latter always resulted in Shifu sending the tiger to her room to meditate on how she was mistaken.

Shifu shook his head before the group made it to the gates of the training grounds. "Are you ready, Sister?" Viper smiled as she slithered up beside the trembling bunny. Shifu glanced over and noticed Tigress watching the scene with narrowed eyes. "Don't be frightened; you'll do just fine!" Viper said, and Crane and Mantis nodded while Monkey patted the youth on her shoulder.

"It is time," Shifu said as he stood before the bunny, surrounded as she was by the Furious Five.

Shifu opened the door to find Po standing in the middle of the training ground, bent over with his hands on his knees. "Panda?"

"Oh, thank goodness, I'm right on… er... you're right on time!" Po grinned at the group.

"Cream," Po smiled tightly as he stood his full height, which was far more than twice Cream's.

"Yes, Master?" Cream replied with a slight shake to her voice as the Five and Shifu formed a line on the side of the stone floor in the center of the courtyard.

"You've made me and Master Shifu very proud," Po said as he turned and walked a few steps with his arms folded behind his back. All but Shifu looked on in confusion as Po stepped behind a small table with a covered bowl and two empty bowls. He lifted the lid and set it to the side, revealing several fresh dumplings. He placed a pair of chopsticks on the side of the table facing Cream and took a pair himself. "You have completed your training, Cream. You are now free to eat," He explained motioning to the dumplings. "Enjoy."

"What? Is this it?" Tigress asked in a mix of anger and confusion. "Her final test is LUNCH?" She growled, shaking her head. "Oh, what happens when she becomes Grand Master? Dinner? Dessert?"

Cream glanced at Tigress while Shifu simply lifted his chin. "Tigress, one must learn patience. Not everything is as it appears. After all, did any of us believe one such as Po could be the Dragon Warrior?"

Tigress lowered her ears and hunched slightly before taking a step backwards. "Forgive me, Master," she whispered somewhat harshly.

"And it is breakfast time, so it is not lunch." Shifu corrected with a smirk, which made the tiger bristle slightly.

"Cream... Cream, look at me," Po said in a soothing tone. "Look at me, just me." The timid rabbit slowly looked up and locked eyes with the Dragon Warrior. "There is no one else here but you and me. Master Shifu and the Five are not here. It's just you and I."

"Yes, Master…" Cream gulped, focusing solely on the large panda before her.

"Now, dig in, kiddo, and enjoy it," Po smiled warmly as Cream picked up the chopsticks. She glanced questioningly at her master before taking a dumpling in her chopsticks and moving it toward her mouth. She blinked rapidly when she bit down on her empty chopsticks.

"I said you're free to eat," Po said, chomping on the dumpling he grabbed from Cream. "Have a dumpling."

Cream stared at the bowl for a moment before doing as told, and yet again, Po grabbed it from her chopsticks.

"What's he doing?" Viper whispered to Crane as they all watched with confusion, save Shifu, who had a broad, proud smile on his face.

"You are FREE to eat…" Po said with a mild growl to the agitated rabbit.

"Am I?" Cream asked challengingly.

"ARE YOU?" Po responded hotly before Cream dove for the last dumpling with her chopsticks.

The Five watched intensely as Po and Cream dueled with their fingers and chopsticks, trying to grab the dumpling. Finally, Po grabbed it and held it high. "Viper Style!" He shouted, and Cream flawlessly began to move, grasping for the dumpling while using smooth and random viper-style attacks.

"Crane Style!" Po shouted, and the White Crane defensive style became Cream's method, while Po launched a series of attacks, which she blocked and countered in her attempt to nab the dumpling.

"Monkey Style!" Po instructed, and Cream yet again effortlessly changed stances and began jumping and lunging at her master. She even almost caught the dumpling a few times.

"Mantis Style!" Po called out after a few near misses. Cream nodded and dropped her stance to the praying mantis style, striking out with quick, precise attacks.

"Wow, she's learned more than I thought," Viper said proudly, while the rest nodded and watched.

"Tiger Style!" Po shouted out, and Tigress' eyes widened in outrage.

"What?" She gasped as Cream took her own fighting stance flawlessly. 'How dare he teach her my style! I'm the master of that style… he has no right!' Tigress thought as she watched the rabbit strike at the panda with near perfection.

"Alright!" Po grinned at the rabbit, who stared intently at the dumpling just out of her reach. "Now for the grand finale… Panda Style!"

"Hi-yah!" Cream said before bracing her legs, pushing her little cottontail back and all her weight and strength to her small belly.

"SKADOOSH!" She yelled as she pushed herself forward, slamming her full body weight, what was there, into the Panda's oversized belly.

While Po was prepared for her attack, he had been too focused on his student's techniques instead of his location on the training ground. With his heel hanging slightly off the edge of the training platform, it didn't take much to send the larger panda off balance. "Whoa-whoa!" Po gasped as he tumbled backwards and landed flat on his back.

Dead silence filled the ground for several moments before…

"Pluck me featherless and call me a turkey, she did it…" Crane breathed as the small rabbit flipped onto her master's belly and grabbed the dumpling.

"Thank you, master," Cream said before feeding the dumpling to her slightly dazed master. "But I really need to watch my figure."

"Excellent, Cream. I was blinded by your awesomeness," Po said with a smile.

"Thank you, Master," Cream said again as she brought her hands together and gave a short bow to her master, who returned it as best he could with his student sitting on him.

"Cream, excellent performance," Shifu clapped his paws as Cream crawled off her master, and Po struggled to sit up. The old master and the young rabbit watched in a mix of amazement and amusement as Po struggled to either roll off his back or sit up. "Crane, you know the drill…" Shifu sighed, nodding to the avian.

Crane mumbled under his breath as he walked up to Po and held out a claw to the struggling panda. "Alright, upsy daisy…" Crane said, flapping his long wings to gain momentum to pull Po off the ground.

"Thanks, pal," Po said cheerfully as he got back to his feet.

"Don't mention it… again." Crane shrugged as he and Po flanked the yet-again nervous bunny.

"What did you think of my number one student's bodacity?" Po said, placing one of his big paws on the small rabbit's head.

"What are the Moralities of the Deed?" Shifu asked, looking down his nose at the rabbit.

"Humility, Loyalty, Politeness, Righteousness, and Trust," Cream answered without missing a beat, making Po have to fight to keep the grin off his face.

"And the Moralities of the Mind?" Shifu asked after a short nod.

"Courage, Endurance, Patience, Perseverance, and Will," Cream again answered without hesitation.

"Very good," Shifu nodded, "Your techniques are far from perfect. Several of your attacks could have been faster, stronger, more focused. There were many times you showed a hint of sloppiness in your stances." The master stated, causing the bunny to lower her face. "But that is something that will come with practice and training. You are far from becoming the seventh member of the Superior Six. But I agree with Master Panda: you have earned the right to be called a Master and a Teacher."

"Master!" Tigress bellowed. "She's just a child! You can't possibly judge her ready based on the Panda's words and that silly dance!"

"Tigress…" Shifu started, but Po held up his hand.

"No, no, it's cool, Master Shifu, totally cool." Po stated with a smile as he patted Cream's shoulder. "If Master Tigress thinks Cream isn't up to snuff, let the apprentice prove herself." Cream's eyes widened, and she squeaked in terror.

"You want me to fight a child?" Tigress asked Po in surprise.

"I don't see why not," Shifu nodded.

"Master, she's gonna eat me…" Cream said, clinging to Po's pants.

"Nah, she eats tofu, not meat; trust me, I've tried to get her to eat my cooking," Po said, shoving Cream toward the center of the ring. "Just remember what I taught you and you'll be fine!"

Cream's eyes were as wide as saucers and her chest heaved as Tigress circled her, growling.

"Please don't die…" Po whispered under his breath.

"Now, silly, little rabbit," Tigress gave a fangy grin, "Let me show you the real Tiger Style."

"Cream can't win this one," Viper said coming up to Po's side.

"I know, I just hope she can focus enough to make Tigress work for it," Po whispered back, biting his lower lip.

Cream screamed when Tigress pounced at her with angry swipes and punches, but despite the rabbit's obvious terror, she managed to not only successfully but gracefully dodge every single incredibly close strike.

Cream ducked, dodged, and crawled to avoid the angry tiger's attacks before a single opportunity presented itself to the rabbit. She launched herself to the side of Tigress' latest pounce and reached with both hands to grip her long, flailing tail.

"What are you doing?" Tigress asked in anger as she tried to get to the rabbit hanging on to her tail.

"There are no teeth on this end!" Cream responded as she held on for dear life, prompting Viper to make a comment about Cream having a tiger by the tail, which only further enraged the Bengali Master of the Tiger-Style.

Tigress swung herself around while turning her tail toward herself in an attempt to get the rabbit before launching out with her teeth. Cream screamed and unconsciously held up her hands, which still held Tigress' tail, to shield herself. Tigress' eyes widened in pain as her teeth sank into her own tail. "Ha! Bit yourself!" Cream laughed before the Tiger threw a backhand that sent her flying out of the ring into her master's forgiving stomach.

"See?" Tigress panted, favoring her twitching tail. "She's… not ready…"

"I disagree; she made you winded," Monkey pointed out, earning his own glare from the tiger.

"Yes, Cream has proven herself capable of keeping up with the best of you," Shifu stated, turning to the still-trembling rabbit. "Cream, do you accept the rank of Master and Teacher over the students of the Jade Palace?"

"Y-yes, Master Shifu," Cream took a trembling step toward the miniature Grand Master.

"Then, Master Cream, you will serve with the Dragon Warrior, Master Panda, as teachers of the ideals and styles of Kung Fu to the citizens of the Valley of Peace willing to learn."

"Thank you, Master," Cream bowed with a grin on her face, then turned to her other master. "Thank you so much, Master Po!" she squeaked as he bowed to her teacher.

"Eh, don't mention it," Po waved it off.

"Master, what's that?" Tigress said breaking the moment.

The gathered martial artists looked where Tigress was pointing and saw a pillar of smoke rising in the west. "It looks like it's coming from the edge of the Valley, perhaps Zengchong…" Shifu mused.

"Crane, Mantis, go get a closer look," Shifu instructed, "Panda, Cream, go to the village and have the villagers begin preparations to retreat up to the palace. Viper, Tigress, help me prepare the defenses of the palace."

Po and Shifu shared a look, and Po realized Master Oogway must have given his master a heads-up as well. "Yes, Master," the seven bowed before breaking up to do as told. "Come on, Cream," Po said, making his way quickly to the exit with a bad feeling in his sizable stomach, and this one not from too many noodles.

---

A few thousand miles away …

A full-grown female jackrabbit ran full speed between the ruins of factories. "Almost home free," She whispered in a crisp, Southern drawl with a single, gloved hand holding her brown cowboy hat on top of her head. "Aw, shit," She cursed when she came up on a dead end. "Ah knew should have made that left back there."

She turned to retreat but came face to face with a group of SWATbot robots. "Yup, should'a taken a left at Albuquerque…" She said looking up at the robots. "Do ya'all mind? Ah'm kinda in a hurry. It's mah turn to cook supper, and mah ol' man is real sensitive on his eatin'."

"Do not run. Do not fight. Resistance is futile," the towering SWATbots stated mechanically as they approached the rabbit.

"An' what if ah wanna run and fight, Sugah?" the rabbit asked as she jumped up, gripped the lead Bot with her gloved hand, and crushed the metal in her grasp.

"Taking your sweet time, huh, Bunny?" Bunny glanced behind the bots to see a young, blue hedgehog with curved quills, red-and-white-striped shoes and white gloves looking on impatiently as he leaned against the wall of the factory. "I'm waiting…" he drawled looking at his watch.

"Sugah-Hog?" Bunny asked before pulling off her glove and rolling up the sleeve of her brown leather jacket to reveal a metallic arm.

"Target: Sonic the Hedgehog. Alpha Protocol: Postpone all missions and capture target hedgehog," The SWATbots said as they turned away from Bunny right as she was morphing her metallic arm into an energy cannon.

"Hi, guys; bye, guys," the hedgehog said as he disappeared, leaving only a vaguely visible blue blur for a moment, just before a massive blast slammed into the back of the robots.

"Thanks for tha help, Sugah-hog," Bunny said as Sonic appeared beside her.

"Fame can be a curse, but it does come in handy on occasions," Sonic mock-sighed with a smirk plastered to his face. "Find out anything on why Eggman's Egg Carrier's flown the coop?"

"Yeah," Bunny nodded, showing him the file she ripped off from Robotnik's computer system. "Dunno what he's goin' after, but we know where he's going."

"Valley of Peace, huh? I remember Uncle Chuck tellin' me about that place," Sonic nodded, "Some old Great War vets live there."

"Yeah, General Shifu and his student, the Dragon Warrior-To-Be, Tai Lung," Bunny nodded, "Sally's Pa likes to compare us to Lung durin' the debriefin's you sleep through."

"If he could catch that Dragon Warrior guy and turn him into one of his robots," Sonic rubbed his chin, "That could be bad news."

"Ya think?" Bunny snorted at her friend, "But Eggman'll have to get past Shifu's other students, the Furious Five. Ah hear they're the best martial artists 'round."

"Woo, the big, bad Furious Five! Probably scare Eggman about as much as they scare me," Sonic scoffed. "They don't know Eggy. So, guess I'm just going to have to go over there and save their lives."

"Sonic, no, we need to get with tha others and come up with a plan!" Bunny tried to argue.

"Great idea. You go and get a plan, and I'll have him beat by the time you guys get an idea," Sonic nodded, stretching slightly.

"Ya don't even know where the Valley of Peace is!"

"Which direction is it from here?" Sonic asked, glancing up from his ready stance.

"East," Bunny said dejectedly.

"Ah, then I'll find it. See you there!" Sonic said before disappearing in a burst of speed.

"Dagnabbit, Sonic!" Bunny called after him. She shook her head before lifting her arm to speak into the com of her mechanized arm. "Bunny to New Mobotropolis. Robotnik's headed for the Valley of Peace, an' so is Sonic. He'll probably need back up. Bunny out."

She sighed and looked up at the cloudy sky. "Ah got a bad feelin' bout this…"

To Be Continued…

A/N: Despite how this chapter looks, Tigress is my favorite character, and I do have a reason for her crankiness toward Po's student. Next chapter: the war of the "Eggman Empire" fully enters the Valley of Peace. How will Po and the Furious Five fair against Robotnik's greatest creations? Find out next time!

edit 12/30/08. I got my rights and lefts, easts and wests mixed up and got Sonic headed in the right direction now.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Invasion **

"This side's all done," Viper said as she slithered back to look over her handiwork. "All the windows are nicely sealed," Tigress grunted as she sealed another small window on her side of the hall in the central palace.

"What's wrong, Tigress?" Viper asked as she glanced to her friend.

"I know it pays to be on the defensive, but isn't this a little extreme?" Tigress asked with a deep frown.

"Master Shifu surely has his reasons," Viper smiled slightly, "Besides, from that look he shared with Po, they may have been waiting for something like this."

"Oh, of course, if Po agrees, it has to be!" Tigress snorted. "It would be just like him anyway. The first sign of trouble and he goes running for safety."

"Tigress!" Viper gasped, "The only time Po has ever run from any trouble was when Tai Lung had just escaped. And that was when the only training he had received was us using him as a training dummy," She said hotly.

"I know, I'm just getting tired of it," Tigress growled but cursed herself for letting it slip out.

"Tired of what?" Viper asked, growing concerned for her old friend.

"Nothing, forget it…" Tigress shook her head and went back to work.

"Tigress…" Viper hissed warningly.

"We're in the middle of a crisis here," Tigress growled, finishing the window she was working on.

"Talk," Viper narrowed her eyes.

"For years, I… we tried to gain Master Shifu's acceptance. Then, this big, fat panda shows up, and he doesn't just get it, he gets it without even trying!" Tigress exclaimed. "How do you expect me to feel about that?"

"Happy someone finally knocked some sense into the old man?" Viper smiled slightly.

"Did he really get some sense knocked in or knocked out?" Tigress snorted. "The Panda isn't ready for that much trust. Dragon Warrior or not, he is definitely no master… and yet Master Shifu allows him, HIM, to take an apprentice. And did it really change much? It was bad enough he was silently comparing us to Tai Lung, but now, it's Po this… Panda that… The Dragon Warrior would…"

"If memory serves, you called him a master two years ago after he defeated Tai Lung," Viper brushed her chin with the tip of her tail. "And at the rate Po completed his training, it's perfectly understandable to use him as an example."

"Oh, don't you start, too," Tigress growled, turning and walking to the next open window.

"Tigress, Po is the Dragon Warrior, and he's done a wonderful job with the classes, far better than any of us ever even dreamed," Viper said with a slight smile. "And above all that, he's our friend. He's your friend, too."

"You really don't get it, do you?" Tigress gave a half laugh, "I just don't want to talk about it right now, ok?" she asked in an almost pleading tone.

"Ok, you win, but we WILL talk about this," Viper said, pointing the end of her tail toward her friend. "Preferable over a fresh bowl of Po's secret ingredient soup… Gods, I could go for that right about now…"

"You're not getting me to eat that…" Tigress cringed.

"Mark my words, before year's end, you'll be as crazy over it as the rest of us," Viper nodded rapidly.

"You say that every year, sister," Tigress shook her head.

"Is the hall secured?" Shifu asked as he joined the two female warriors.

"Yes, Master; we just finished," Viper said as she and Tigress bowed.

"That board is loose," Shifu pointed out to the front window on Tigress' side. "We have to make sure this is as secured as possible for the villagers should that thing make it this far."

"Yes, Master," Tigress said as she quickly secured the loose board.

"Master Shifu," Cream said as she entered ahead of Po, who paused to catch his breath. "All the villagers have been warned and are preparing to come up to the Palace."

"Excellent work, Po, Cream," Shifu nodded. "Let us hope Oogway's warning isn't as grave as he led us to believe." He said, and Po nodded in agreement.

"What warning?" Viper asked curiously, but before he could answer, Monkey led Crane and Mantis into the room.

"They're back," Monkey stated the obvious as they all looked expectantly at the pair.

"What did you learn?" Shifu asked, folding his arms behind him.

"Metal soldiers marching through the valley toward the Palace," Crane stated gravely, "Hundreds of them… probably even thousands."

"Describe them…" Shifu frowned deeply.

"Tall, almost as tall as Po, black with some camouflage patterns, large oval heads with a single, long eye… thing." Mantis spoke up, "And very good eyes, I was going top speed, and they saw me AND counter-attacked. They're obviously used to fighting things faster than them."

"SWATbots…" Shifu growled, "Has Acorn betrayed us, or is Julian acting on his own?" He mused to himself.

"SWATbots…" Tigress moaned and closed her eyes, while the others just looked confused.

"What are sweat bots?" Po scratched his head and asked the question the others were silently asking.

"What do you know about the Great War?" Shifu asked, turning away from his students.

"Started around thirty years ago, and lasted roughly seven years," Po stated knowledgably. "No one knows who fired the first shot, but it ended up with a race of mammals called humans overpowering us and using us as slaves. We rebelled and fought for our freedom, and the war ended with the humans retreating to the sky."

"Very good, your knowledge never ceases to amaze me, Master Panda," Shifu nodded with a small smile, missing Tigress' scowl. "Master Tigress was very young back then, but Tai Lung and I fought along side the followers of King Maximillian Acorn. If I recall, you became quite close friends with the Princess while you were there, Tigress," he said with a fond smile on his face.

"An exile of the humans joined us; he claimed to be a sympathizer of our cause. He called himself Dr. Julian Ivo Robotnik." Shifu continued. "It wasn't publicized too much, but we were losing… rapidly. Julian's knowledge of the humans' technology helped to no end."

"He helped set up the SWATbots: an army of mechanical soldiers with combat skills close to that of Tai Lung. We could send these soldiers into combat and not risk as much harm to our own dwindling numbers." Shifu nodded, "We stayed till the tide was completely turned and the humans sounded their retreat. But we couldn't stay to help with the final clean up. Bandit attacks had increased in the Valley while Tai Lung and I were away. We haven't had any contact since concerning the Kingdom of Acorn."

"Do you think that the Kingdom is behind this attack?" Viper asked.

"Sally wouldn't ever allow that," Tigress shook her head.

"It's been over twenty years, Tigress," Shifu argued, "but let's worry about the matter at hand before we point fingers."

"How far away are they?" Shifu asked Crane.

"Should be arriving in a matter of hours, if we're lucky," Crane shook his head.

Shifu frowned gravely. "I'll have the evacuation gong sound to get the villagers up here and safe," he said before turning to his students. "Dragon Warrior, Furious Five, go intercept the invaders at the river. Cream and I can lead the higher-level students in the event the invaders make it past you six."

"M-Me? Me lead?" Cream whimpered, staring at the aged master.

"You'll be fine, Cream," Po said, walking up to his student. "No different than training with us and the dummies. Heck, the training hall's probably going to be more dangerous than those metal guys."

"B-But if he gets past you guys… what… what's a little rabbit like me going to do?" Cream asked in near panic and tears.

"Big _if_ there, Cream, and besides even if you didn't have Master Shifu, you could do it." Po said and frowned slightly when he saw her still in disbelief. "Alright, time to give you a power-up, then. I'm going to show you something few have ever seen, and only those here truly understand." He said as he pulled his most prized possession from his belt.

"T-The Dragon Scroll?" Cream's eyes widened even farther.

"That's right," Po said as he placed it into the rabbit's paws. "Open it, and it will show you where you can gain the power to defend your friends, your family, and this Palace."

The young bunny timidly opened the top of the casing and slid out the red and gold ornate scroll. "Go on, open it," Po nodded encouragingly.

She gulped loudly as she slowly unrolled the scroll and blinked in confusion at the blank, gold reflective sheet of parchment. "Huh? I don't …"

"There is no secret ingredient," Po explained, "You can't get awesomely bodacious power from a sheet of paper, Cream," he said, pointing to her reflection in the sheet. "It comes from right there."

Cream's eyes widened in understanding. "All you have to do is believe," Po said, patting Cream's head as she rolled up the scroll, replaced it back into its casing and handed it back to her master.

"I… I'll try…" Cream gulped but nodded bravely.

"Awesome," Po grinned before he stood back to his feet and turned to the Five. "Alright, guys, ready to kick some butt?"

---

New Mobotropolis, Kingdom of Acorn, Thousands of miles to the West

"Landing gear, Check. Auto-Morph systems, Check. Main power and alternate power supplies prepped and charged," a fifteen-year-old, yellow furred fox with twin twitching tails names Miles "Tails" Prower read out loud as he keyed and checked his prototype vehicle. "C.C. Jump Drive, check."

"All ready, Tails?" a tall, red echidna with two sharp knuckles pointing through his gloves approached the teen. "You know Sonic's probably going to be there and finished the fight by the time you finish the checklist. I want some action, not clean up."

"You want to make it there or to crash mid-flight, Knuckles?" Tails asked his friend as he glanced over his shoulder. "Don't get your dreadlocks in a twist; I'm almost done."

"Alright, go ahead and load up," a tall, female chipmunk with mid-neck-length red hair approached the two with a group.

"What's going on, Sally?" Knuckles asked in irritation.

"You didn't expect us to let you three run off to the other side of the planet alone, did you?" a partly cybernetic echidna smiled, patting Knuckle's cheek before kissing his nose.

"Julie-Su…" Knuckles whined.

"The Chaotix are coming with you," Julie-Su said as she and Sally planted their hands on their hips. "End of discussion."

"Dang it," Knuckles growled, "Alright, Charmy and Espio are toward the front, Julie-Su, Arty, Rouge, and Mighty are middle, and Me and Viktor are at the rear."

"What about us?" Sally asked, and Knuckles glanced up in irritation at the Princess and the mountain cat at her side.

"You plan on tagging along and slowing us down?" Knuckles rolled his eyes.

"_I am _the goodwill ambassador and princess of the Kingdom of Acorn," Sally stated.

"Had to pull the princess and ambassador card again," Knuckles sighed.

"AND Mei Ling used to live in the Valley of Peace. We could use a guide," Sally continued, motioning to the green-clad mountain cat, and crossing her arms defiantly.

"And I have a good friend there I haven't heard from since I left the Valley," Mei Ling stated with a hint of worry in her voice. "I have to be sure he's ok."

"Alright, you two can come; besides, you're still the only one Sonic somewhat listens to," Knuckles said to the princess, "Tails, we ready?"

"Roger Wilco! Tornado XZ, ready and waiting!" Tails said, twisting his two tails together before spinning them like helicopter blades, flying up to the cockpit of the large vehicle.

The group all settled inside the rear hatch of the large, blue-and-white vehicle resembling a cross between a bi-plane and an armored personnel carrier. It rocketed down the runway before lifting off and taking to the air.

"Everyone buckled up?" Tails asked from the cockpit as he turned the Tornado east. "Hold on to something… cause here… we… GO!" He said as he punched the thrusters, and the plane shot through the air.

---

"This should be a good enough place to draw the line," Tigress said as the six warriors stopped several miles away from the village. "You ok back there, Panda?"

"Yeah... fine... of course... why wouldn't I…" he said between pants as he placed his hands on his knees and took deep breaths.

"Deep breaths. Here, have some water," Monkey said, patting the Dragon Warrior's shoulder and handing him a flask of water.

"Oh, thank you…" he said guzzling from the flask.

"Here they come," Monkey said, holding up a hand to shade his eyes. Tigress narrowed her eyes as she watched the legions of metal troopers marching directly toward them.

"I think we should break into teams," Crane stated, making a quick strategy. "Monkey and Mantis, you two team up and use your speed advantage, Viper and I will use our defense advantage, and Po and Tigress will use their power advantage."

"Naturally, I have to babysit the Panda," Tigress rolled her eyes.

"Tigress," Viper sighed before going up to her friend's shoulder to his in her ear, "Give him a chance. He did beat Tai Lung, and you've only had to help him out…"

"Four times," Tigress' eye twitched.

"And he's helped you just as many," Viper nodded, causing the tiger to roll her eyes again.

"No offense, O Lovely Lady Warriors of Kung Fu Buttkickery," Po said, taking a low fighting stance, "But we're about to fight, so can we save the girl talk for afterward?"

"Girl talk?" Tigress asked, taking a fighting stance beside the panda, "You are so getting pounded when we get back to the training hall."

"Looking forward to it, Master Tigress," Po flashed a grin, which caused Tigress to snort.

The lines of identical mechanical soldiers came to a stop before the six Kung Fu warriors and stood silently for a moment, seemingly scanning the group. "Targets identified, Furious Five," one appearing to be the leader spoke up. "Unidentified panda. Priority: Furious Five and Dragon Warrior Tai Lung."

"Dragon Warrior Tai Lung?" Viper whispered, the same thought on all their minds.

"Furious Five and Unidentified Panda, surrender and prepare for Robotization," the lead SWATbot spoke monotonically, "Do not fight, do not run. Resistance is futile."

"Alright, I'm not sure what you just said there at the end, but I take it as a threat," Po said with a smirk.

"Take 'em down," Tigress growled, and not a second later, all six jumped to attack.

The three teams of two ran into the crowd of robots, forcing them to break ranks. Po's large paw punched through the lead SWATbots before taking its metallic head clear off with a side chop. "Hey, guys, these things aren't alive!" Po called out, "Don't hold back!"

Po jumped toward another Bot, kicking with his right leg before following through with a punch from his left fist then his right. "You boys messed with the wrong Panda!" Po exclaimed before jumping into the air to roundhouse kick another SWATbot.

Po turned to check and see how the others were fairing and saw they, too, were tearing through the invaders with practiced ease. One movement caught his eyes. "Tigress! Heads up!" Po called out, barreling forward and tackling Tigress to the ground, just as a beam of energy fired from one of the SWATbots arms.

Po smiled down at his comrade staring back up at him. "I knew he was going to attack. I had that under control," Tigress said with a low growl.

"You're welcome!" Po said as he got up and held out a paw to the tiger.

Tigress took his hand and swung around his body to strike the SWATbot coming at his back, kicking first with her right foot then her left before settling on the ground with her shoulders pressed to Po's back. "You didn't have to do that," Po said glancing back at the feline, "I knew he was coming and was gonna take him out with one of my own totally awesome moves!"

"You're welcome," Tigress parroted with a smirk. "Here comes the next wave," Tigress said, glancing to the panda as she took her stance.

"Not getting past us," Po said, taking the tiger-style stance as well, which caused the tiger to hesitate a moment. "Ready?" the panda asked, and the two warriors locked eyes. With one last nod to each other, they turned to the rushing SWATbots.

In perfect synchronization, Po and Tigress launched their counter-attack. They threw matching powerful punches and kicks, tearing through the attacking robots as if they were nothing more than the dummies in the training hall.

"You've shown… some improvement, Dragon Warrior," Tigress noted as she stood shoulder to shoulder with the panda.

"Dragon Warrior?" a synthetic voice spoke above them. Po and Tigress looked up to see a blue-and-silver robotic hedgehog lowering to them. "It would seem our gathered information is incorrect. You are called 'Dragon Warrior', but you are not the Snow Leopard Tai Lung."

"Nice entrance," Po noted.

"Surrender and be roboticized," the metal hedgehog growled, holding up his metallic claws. "Or challenge me and die."

"Tigress, go help the others," Po said, popping his neck.

"The plan was to stay in groups of two," Tigress growled, staring down at the blue android.

"Yeah, well, this guy's wanting the Dragon Warrior," Po said, rolling his arms and dropping into a low stance. "And Master Oogway used to say 'be careful what you wish for. Often times you won't like what you get.'"

"He also taught humility," Tigress replied with a shake of her head. "I don't like this."

"Me neither," he whispered, "I'll keep him busy long enough for you guys to finish off his buddies."

Tigress hesitated a moment before glancing away. "Don't get hurt," She replied softly before dropping to all fours to run to where the others were battling the dwindling SWATbots.

"Alright, tin can, you ready to feel the thunder?" Po asked, smirking at the robot.

The android seemed to blink its glowing red eyes before it spoke its reply. "Only if you can catch the lightning."

"Huh?" Po asked, and the metallic hedgehog seemed to disappear from sight. Po yelped when the robot slammed into his back, knocking him forward, but the panda managed to stay on his feet. "Super speed… that would be so cool if it wasn't trying to kick my butt…" he whispered before bracing himself, remaining as perfectly still as he could.

He closed his eyes and focused on his center, letting all distractions escape, just as Master Shifu taught him.

He focused on a single sound, something that seemed like a large arrow flying through the air, only much softer yet louder. He snapped his eyes opened and smiled tightly. "Skadoosh!" He said as he took a single step to the side and spun around with his arm firm and extended.

"SZKT!!" Metal Sonic buzzed/grinded out as Po caught him right across the throat, sending the robot crashing across the ground.

"Too slow," Po mocked as he turned and took a fighting stance to the dazed machine.

"The game is over," Metal Sonic growled as he opened his hands, extending claws from his metallic fingers.

Not far away, Tigress fought alongside the rest of the Furious Five, finishing off the few remaining SWATbots. A look of pride flashed across her face for a moment as Po faced the now-dented-and-dirty blue robot that was rushing him. "He's got this," She spoke to herself before she pushed both of her palms into a strike to the faceplate of her opponent.

Po smirked and readied himself as Metal rushed him. He planted his feet into the ground just below his shoulders, clinched his fists and tightened his arms, and clinched his back and butt before sucking his enlarged gut in.

Po timed it perfectly, and just as Metal jumped into the air toward him, pushed his chest out to impact. But unlike Tai Lung two years earlier, Metal seemed to be ready for this, swinging his clawed hand at an angle…

Tigress' ears perked up at the sound of Po's yelp of pain. She turned and her eyes widened and horror washed over her face as blood splattered across the ground toward her.

The Furious Five froze as Metal Sonic stepped away from the Dragon Warrior, his blood-stained claw glistening in the light. A soft chuckle came from the android's mouth as Po fell first to his knees then face down onto the ground. "You had an opportunity to live forever as one of my brethren," he said, lifting his other claw into a striking position.

Before he could strike or even finish his statement, Tigress' foot lifted him in the air as she attacked with an upward crescent kick before settling between Po and Metal Sonic. "You will not touch him again," She stated, baring her fangs and claws with her bristles raised and tail twitching angrily.

"Viper, Mantis, is he… is… is he?" Tigress asked, glancing back to see Monkey and Crane carefully rolling their injured friend over for Viper and Mantis to check his wounds.

"Oh, this ain't good," Crane hissed as he tenderly touched the deep cut across Po's chest.

"We gotta get him back to the palace," Viper stated as she stared at the open wound.

The sound of clapping drew their attention, and the Five looked up to see a large, black-and-white, egg-shaped vehicle with a single light on the front lower to the ground. Three small legs lowered from the bottom, and the side slid down into steps. "Bravo! Bravo!" A bald, chubby human with a thick, red mustache stepped down to the ground to stand beside Metal Sonic, applauding the five. "Bravo! The Furious Five and the surprisingly unexpected Dragon Warrior. Bravo! Good show, good show!"

"Julian?" Tigress asked with narrowed eyes.

The fat man narrowed his eyes before laughing heartedly. "Little Mei Ren? My, how you've grown! I shouldn't be surprised to see General Shifu's daughter would be the one to become the famed Master Tigress. I, too, no longer go by my old name, for I am now Dr. Robotnik, and this world is now MINE.

"You all look tired from your ordeal; perhaps I can help you with that," Robotnik smiled kindly. "How would you like to have new bodies, like my friend Metal here?" he asked. "You'll never tire, never want for sleep, food, or rest. You will be the perfect life form.

"And you'll never die," Robotnik noted the severe injury on the Dragon Warrior's chest. "I can fix that, too. Don't you want your friend saved?"

"At what price?" Tigress growled, keeping her fighting stance.

"That's the best part. You will not have to worry about that annoying free will," Robotnik clapped his hand. "There will be no more disagreements, fighting, or wars; there will be pure, blissful… peace."

"You're insane…" Tigress shook her head at the old man.

"It hurts me that you feel this way," Robotnik shook his head, "Metal, take them; if you can't capture them, kill them."

"As good as your robot is," Viper hissed, "There's five of us and one of it."

"So it would seem… Metal, start with the tiger," Robotnik crossed his arms over his chest.

"As you wish, Dr. Robotnik," Metal said, lifting the bloodied claw to strike at Tigress. But before Tigress could counter, Po shot forward, gripping her shoulder with one paw for support, and reaching out to catch Metal Sonic's claw with the other hand, holding his forefinger with his two other fingers and lifting his pinky.

"The Wuxi Finger Hold?" Metal asked curiously, staring at the finger.

"Oh, you know this hold," Po wheezed, smiling appreciatively as Tigress ducked down to place his arm across her shoulders. "Then, you know what'll happen as soon as I flex this pinky. I know from experience, the hardest part of this hold is cleaning up afterwards."

"Finish him, Panda," Tigress said, glancing over at the wounded Panda she supported; none noticed Robotnik reach and touch a single button on his wrist.

"This is for this little scratch you gave me…" Po growled softly before flexing his pinky, making the whole area explode in golden light.

"Hehehe … HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Robotnik laughed heartedly, almost doubling over.

"What's so funny…" Po coughed as the dust began to settle.

"You Guardians did exactly as I expected, even more predictable than the royal family's silly little band of Freedom Fighters." Robotnik chuckled, wiping his eye. "I knew Shifu's favorite finishing technique would come out, though I wasn't expecting you to get back up… Anyway, do you have any idea how much raw energy is released when the Wuxi Finger Hold is activated? Answer: Enough to power hundreds of SWATbot self-repair and adaptation-system power adaptors." He said as the damaged remains of the SWATbots began to get back up, repairing themselves and even growing bigger.

"Oh…" Mantis groaned.

"Crap…" Crane finished for his friend.

"Bad day… Bad day… Bad day…" Monkey began chanting over and over.

If the returning, and seemingly supercharged, SWATbots weren't bad enough, a moment later Metal Sonic appeared at Robotnik's side. "Disconnected arm and speed dashed away successfully as instructed, Dr. Robotnik."

"Just as I planned," Robotnik laughed, "Now Furious Five, or is it six, eh, either case, surrender or die."

"Guys…" Po coughed as a small line of red slid down from the corner of his mouth, traveling down to fall on Tigress' shoulder. "Leave me here, and get back to the village. I'll hold 'em as long as I can."

"No, we're not leaving you to die," Tigress growled, gripping his shoulder almost painfully.

"Yeah, Po, we came together, and we're going to face this together," Mantis said, landing on Po's other shoulder.

"I could have thought of better ways to die, but might as well be fighting with my buddies," Crane said, taking a fighting stance on the other side of the Panda.

"If they think we're going to go down easy, they're gonna be disappointed," Viper hissed, curling up protectively in front of Po.

"Bad day…" Monkey sighed before taking a stance between Viper and Crane.

"So, you all will stand by your wounded friend," Robotnik shook his head. "Such heroic foolishness. You five would have made wonderful weapons… it saddens me that it comes to…" he froze with his eyes widening in terror when a loud boom echoed from the east.

"Metal, was that a sonic boom?" Robotnik whimpered before the comlink on his wrist sounded. "Alert, object approaching on ground at supersonic speed."

"Oh, no… no… no… no… NO!" Robotnik began ranting, causing confusion for the six warriors.

"Furious Five, while whatever it is, is upsetting him get ready to strike back," Tigress whispered before a hand came to rest on her other shoulder.

"Oh, don't you worry about Eggman, Kitten," a shorter, blue hedgehog with three rows of spiked, curved quills smirked up at her, "You just worry about your boyfriend. I'll handle things from here."

"Who…" Tigress eyes flashed in confusion and anger at the hedgehog that apparently appeared out of thin air.

"They call me Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog," Sonic said with a wink, "And I'll be your day-saving hero today."

**To Be Continued … **

Next time: More reinforcements arrive for both sides, and the fate of the Valley of Peace and ALL residences will be decided…

A/N: Thanks everyone for the favs and reviews! And don't be afraid to review, see something you like or don't like, let me know, just try to keep the flaming to a minimum.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Enter the Hedgehog **_**(All Hail Shadow)**_

"You're a long way from home, Eggman?" Sonic said with a confident smirk as he stood impatiently with the Furious Five and their injured ally. "Got tired of me kicking your wide, jiggly butt?"

"I will take this valley, Hedgehog!" Robotnik growled angrily as he glared at the short blue hero. "And it will not matter how fast you are; even you cannot defeat a force of this size alone."

"Sound pretty sure of yourself, Eggman," Sonic noted, crossing his arms, "Why are you sweating so much, then?"

"I'm just excited that I can kill two birds with one stone," Robotnik chuckled darkly. "Nice of you to run into a death trap…"

"We'll see about that…" Sonic laughed before looking up in the air past Robotnik and his army.

"SONIC!" The Five, Sonic, and Robotnik looked up to see the Tornado flying toward them with Princess Sally hanging halfway out of the back hatch holding a golden ring.

Sally tossed the ring like a Frisbee, and Sonic leapt through the air and caught it with ease.

"Oh, no…" Robotnik gasped, taking several steps backwards before quickly climbing up into his hover-egg. "FALL BACK!!"

"Too late, Eggy, Light Speed time!" Sonic said, ducking down and spinning in place as his rapidly moving quills began to glow a white-blue before he vanished. A moment later, a trail of destruction and explosion tore through the ranks of the SWAT Bots.

The Tornado landed just behind the battle-weary Furious Five as the hatch opened and Tails leapt from the cockpit. "Chaotix! Freedom Fighters! MOVE OUT!" Sally bellowed as she leapt to the ground and pointed to the battle line.

"You heard the lady guys," Knuckles said, stepping out and punching his fist into his palm. "Let's bust some heads!"

"Huh, reinforcements…" Tigress gave a small nod. "It's about time for a cocky comment, Panda. Panda? Po? Po!" Tigress' eyes widened when she notice Po's head down and the only thing keeping him off the ground was her own grasp. "Open your eyes, Po!"

"Just… need to rest a second… just a little nap…" Po mumbled, barely opening his now dull green eyes.

"You have injured?" Sally asked, running up to the group who were focusing on keeping a protective perimeter around Po. She tenderly touched the gaping wound on his chest, which earned a hiss from the panda. "This is pretty deep… do you have medical attendance close?"

"I can help him, but we have to get back to the Jade Palace." Mantis said, jumping to the princess' shoulder.

"That's the plan, then, but we have stop this group first," Sally said, glancing to the SWATbots, her eyes darting around the battlefield while her mind formulated possible plans.

"Perfect," she said as she snapped her fingers. "Tails! Knuckles, SONIC!" she called out. Tails and Knuckles quickly broke off from their fights and ran to her. Just before they arrived, Sonic came to a screeching halt before them.

"You rang?" Sonic smirked.

"Which way is this Jade Palace?" Sally asked, glancing to the Five, and received an answer from Monkey. "Alright, we're headed that way. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, execute the Hurricane Smasher maneuver."

"This many bots, Sally, it'll cause a big explosion, you better get out of the way fast," Tails asked as he did a quick estimate of the SWATbots.

"Big explosion, sweet! Let's do it!" Sonic nodded quickly.

"Sonic! Remember to…" Tails started, but Sonic had already disappeared in a burst of speed. "He never listens…"

"Chaotix, Freedom Fighters, cover the Furious Five and their friend and help them on the Tornado!" Sally barked orders, while at the same time dodging a SWATbot's attack. "Mighty! Help the tiger with the panda!" Sally called out to an Armadillo who was currently lifting a SWATbot and breaking it in half.

"You called, Your Highness?" Mighty replied as he ran to the group. "Alright, I get the picture. I got him, ma'am," the armadillo said, reaching for Po.

"He's really actually heavier than he…" Crane started to explain, but fell silent when the smaller Armadillo heaved the heavyweight Dragon Warrior with one arm before throwing him over into a fireman's carry.

"Got him, let's move!" Mighty barked to Sally and the Furious Five.

"Impressive…" Crane blinked, watching Mighty carry Po with ease toward the shuttle-like plane.

"Behind you!" a feminine voice called, and Crane turned just in time to see a female mountain cat flying kick a SWATbot back, before taking its head off with a roundhouse kick. "You ok… Xin?" she asked, surprised when she realized who she rescued.

"Mei Ling?" Crane blanched as he stared into the eyes of his old friend.

"You're really Master Crane?" Mei Ling's eyes widened and brightened with excitement and pride. "Reunion can wait, Master; let's get to safety before the fireworks start."

"What's he doing?" Viper asked as Tigress and Monkey helped Mighty and Sally load Po into the Tornado. They turned and watched a blue blur running circles around the army of SWATbots, the speed causing a small tornado to form around the robots, with the pressure pushing them all together tighter and tighter as Sonic closed the circle closer and closer.

"We have to hurry," Sally said as they began to file into the Tornado. She watched as Tails took flight with his twin tails spinning like helicopter rotors and lifting himself and Knuckles high above the Hedgehog-made storm. "Be careful, Sonic…" She whispered before she flipped up to the cockpit and started the Tornado's engines.

"THIS ISN'T OVER, HEDGEHOG!" Robotnik called out before taking flight in his Egg-mobile, abandoning his army. "It has only just begun!!"

Meanwhile, inside the air pocket, the army of SWATbots was forced together so tightly that their metallic armor began to crack and break as they were pushed against each other.

"You ready?" Tails asked Knuckles as they flew above the faltering SWATbots.

"Send me flying, Kid," Knuckles glanced up at the young fox as Tails spun him around before sending him flying up in the air. "SPECIAL DELIVERY!" Knuckles called out as he focused his energy downward through his jagged knuckles, falling toward the pressurized air bubble and entrapped SWATbots.

As the Tornado and Eggmobile flew in opposite directions, a massive explosion created a small mushroom cloud, leaving only scraps where an army once stood.

---

Robotnik growled to himself as the Eggmobile disassembled into a control chair while rising up a tube inside the Egg-Carrier before it came to a stop at in the control room. "The Hedgehog arrived as expected, Sir," Snively stated, "Quicker than anticipated…"

"An annoyance, but not a big alteration to the plan," the warlord said, his glowing red eyes focusing on the monitors around him and his nephew. "What disturbs me most is Tai Lung's absence and this unknown factor. That tub of lard almost defeated my most advanced Metal Sonic model."

"Shall I have Dimitri summon the Dark Egg Legion for the second wave, Sir?" Snively asked from his place at the controls.

"No, it's time for the new Robians to earn their keep." Robotnik smiled evilly. "The Furious Five are known to be ruthless warriors. Let's see if they're ruthless enough to fight their own people…"

---

"Everyone's going to be ok!" Cream said with a smile as she and Master Shifu tried to calm the villagers who were as making their way to the safety of the Jade Palace. "Master Panda and the Furious Five will save us, you'll see!"

"Something's coming…" Shifu said, glancing in the direction in which the battle should have been taking place. "Cream! Prepare yourself!"

They both took fighting stances as a large aircraft circled the Palace before coming to a landing in the courtyard. The Tornado wings folded up, and Princess Sally leapt from the cockpit as the rear hatch lowered into a gangplank. "Master Shifu! Hurry!" Viper called, slithering out as Monkey, Tigress, and Mighty carried the injured, unconscious Po followed by the Crane, Mantis and the Chaotix.

"Master!" Cream cried out as she ran to her master's side. "Is he ok?"

"He will be if I have anything to say about it; c'mon, Viper," Mantis said as he and Master Viper scurried toward the Palace. "This way, guys." He said, and the three carrying the Panda followed with Cream close behind.

"Crane?" Shifu asked, his brow knitted in worry.

"We broke into teams of two to take on the robots," Crane informed. "Tigress teamed up with Po; then, she came back to help us while Po took on the leader."

"She left him?" Shifu's eyes widened for a moment before narrowing.

"I don't know the details; it was a little nuts out there. If these guys hadn't shown up, we would have likely been in worse shape than Po is now." Crane shook his head.

"General Shifu? It's great to see you again," Sally said as she approached the short Grand Master. "I'm not sure if you remember me. I am Princess Sally Acorn, Commander of the Freedom Fighters of New Mobotropolis."

"Princess? You were shorter than I am the last time I saw you," Shifu gave a small smile. "Though I wish our reunion was under better circumstances."

"Agreed, General," She nodded, "I have to ask where is the Dragon Warrior. I expected Tai Lung on the front line."

"It is a long story, Your Highness…" Shifu gave shake of his head before glancing ahead to Po. "But the Dragon Warrior, the TRUE Dragon Warrior was on the front line. If you would excuse me, my student has need of me. Master Crane, help the Princess and her team settle in."

Sally watched Shifu and the rest of his students disappear in the palace in shock before glancing to Master Crane. "He's… the Dragon Warrior?"

"Yup," Crane gave a tight smile.

"But isn't he a little…" Sally started but drew off.

"Fat?" Crane finished for her.

"I was going to say fuzzy," Sally said with tight lips.

---

Shifu, Mantis, and Viper followed as they carried Po into his room and laid him carefully on his tatami mats, and as soon as Mighty, Monkey, and Tigress stepped back, Viper and Mantis jumped to work.

Monkey lead Mighty from the room wordlessly, but Tigress and Cream both remained as close as they could without being in the two masters' way.

"Master Tigress, a word in your room please," Shifu said in an icy tone.

"Master? Can it wait, I want to be here if he… they need anything," Tigress said softly, not taking her mind off the wounded Dragon Warrior.

"Now!" Shifu snapped, finally gaining Tigress' attention and causing Mantis and Viper to pause momentarily.

"Yes, Master," Tigress said after a moment and followed the red panda to her room across the hall. She entered and stood by her futon as Shifu entered and closed the sliding doors behind him.

"Be seated," Shifu growled, and Tigress did as told, bowing her head humbly.

"I'm tired, Tigress, so very tired," Shifu said with gritted teeth.

"Master?" Tigress glanced up to meet her Master's eyes.

"Don't get me wrong. I can understand your frustration and anger with him," Shifu said as he began pacing before her. "I, too, was angered and frustrated at Oogway choosing him to be the Dragon Warrior. Yet he has proven himself time and again. I have grown tired of your attitude, Tigress, tired of telling you this, so it will be the last time.

"Do you have any idea, any inkling how important Master Panda is to this valley, Tigress?" Shifu snarled, stomping a few steps closer to the tiger. "He is the symbol of hope for the people, and you selfishly left him to die today. Have you learned nothing in all these years of training?" her master snapped angrily, slapping his walking stick onto the floor in anger. "You left him alone, ALONE, in a fight against an army. You know better. Or I thought you did. If not for Po's success, I'd think I was at fault for poor training.

"Until I say otherwise, you are off the battlefield," Shifu stated angrily. "You will remain close-by, so I can better keep watch of you, so that Master Panda or any of the others won't be injured or possibly even killed until you can finally learn to get past yourself."

He turned and walked toward the door but paused to glance back over his shoulder at his downcast student. "You've disappointed me, Tigress. And I wonder if naming you a master was premature." He turned back and took a step outside the room. "I'll leave you to meditate on what you've done."

She sat there in shock for a moment before she rolled back onto her side and curled into herself, the tip of her tail tickling her face. "Po …" She whispered as she tightened her grip on herself. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, Po…" she said as she began to softly cry for the first time since she was a small cub.

---

"There you are! I told you to stay close!" a mother pig called out as Crane approached her, leading a crying piglet.

"I'm sorry, mama…" the piglet cried. "I only wanted to see the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior…"

"Things are a little dangerous right now, Young One," Crane said to the child. "As soon as the crisis is over, I'll be sure to introduce you to Master Panda and the others, and I'm sure Master Panda would love for you to try his noodle soup. I can tell you from experience his secret ingredient soup is outstanding," he said with a wink.

"Really?" the child beamed.

"Really, now run along with mama," Crane patted his back as he ran to his mother, who took him back into the safety of the palace.

"You're still great with kids, Xin," Mei Ling said with a smile as she approached her old friend. "From what I heard about the Furious Five, I thought they were all cold, hardened warriors. I'm pleasantly surprised to learn that's wrong."

"Yeah, well, we weren't always this nice," Crane said, rubbing the back of his head with his wing, "You can thank the Dragon Warrior for bringing us back down to Mobius," He said, adjusting his head.

"Even so, I always knew you'd be amazing, but wow…" Mei Ling gushed, her bright eyes dancing, "_THE_ Master Crane. See, I told you that you could do it if you just never gave up?"

"I'm not that impressive…" he said, ducking his head, "I mean… we're just overhyped, you know? So, how about you? It's been years since I've seen you… you're a member of the Chaotix, right?"

"Actually I'm a member of the Freedom Fighters," Mei Lung said with a faint blush. "Not really that much of a difference anymore since we've joined forces. Really, the Chaotix follow the Guardian, Knuckles, while the Freedom Fighters follow Princess Sally and Sonic."

"Speaking of…" Mei Ling said, glancing to see Tails flying over the wall into the Jade Palace, carrying Knuckles.

---

"Status report, Nicole," Sally asked her handheld computer as she brushed her bangs from her eyes.

"With the exception of Julie-Su, there are no technorganic beings within sensor range, Sally," the computer replied. "I am detecting two chaos signatures near by but unable to determine the exact location."

"Chaos Emeralds?" Sally narrowed her eyes as she glanced up and around the courtyard of the Jade Palace.

"Negative, Sally. One is confirmed to be Shadow the Hedgehog, the other is unknown."

"Keep on that, Nicole," Sally instructed as she noticed Shifu coming toward her, "Hopefully, Shadow's on our side…" she said before closing Nicole and placing the handheld into her vest pocket. "How's the Dragon Warrior, General?"

"He's been patched up and resting now; he should be fine with some rest," Shifu said as he stood beside the princess.

Sally nodded and glanced up to see Monkey Viper and Mantis approaching. "I'm sorry it took us this long to get here; we might have been able to put up a better defense."

"Way I see it, you guys and the blue guy got here just in time," Mantis said, drying his washed pinchers. "Po's gonna be sore for a while but nothing he won't be able to kick back from."

"Sonic has a knack for showing up in the nick of time," Knuckles said as he held onto Tails' wrists as the two-tailed fox lowered them toward the group.

"Mission accomplished, Sally!" Tails said, dropping down beside Knuckles before giving a snap salute.

"Good job, guys," Sally returned the salute playfully to the youngest of the Freedom Fighters as Julie-Su and the Chaotix joined their leader. "Where's Sonic?"

"He went for a scout run to see what Eggman's got planned for us next," Knuckles said as he placed an arm around Julie-Su's shoulder in a quick hug.

Sally huffed in irritation, "Just once I'd like for him to be a team player…" she grumbled, shaking her head as a sonic boom sounded just outside the village.

"Hey, now," Sonic said as he spun over the entry arch of the palace gates to land in a crouch before them. "I am a team player, thank you very much. I like playing point man."

"Good knuckle-crunch, Rad Red," the speedster said as he knuckle-bumped Knuckles.

"Bah, we've caused bigger explosions before, True Blue," Knuckles snorted as Tigress walked out of the dormitories, tall and proud as ever.

Sonic eyed the five martial artists for a moment before yawning. "The Furious Five, huh?" He asked the group. "You dudes didn't seem too furious to me."

"Excuse me?" Mantis's antenna twitched as he hopped toward the Hedgehog.

"Just I always heard you guys were the big bad kung fu army stompers," Sonic shrugged, "Wasn't expecting for Eggman's Badniks to actually be that far out of your league is all."

"Listen, you blue motor mouth," Mantis growled, working his pinchers as he glared up at the speedster. "If you want to start something, I'll finish it right here right now."

"Wanna dance, bug boy?" Sonic growled back. "Let's go, then."

"Sonic! Stop antagonizing them," Sally said, stepping between them. "Don't mind him," the princess said apologetically.

"Humph," Sonic and Mantis both grunted at the same time.

"Sonic, what did you find out?" Sally asked, trying to keep Sonic from aggravating the Five any further.

"Robuttnik's prepping another wave to rush the valley. This time, it looks like he's using the new Robians…" Sonic said gravely, and Sally and the Chaotix all looked unsettled.

"More robots?" Crane narrowed his eyes as he and Mei Ling joined them. "Let us have a crack at 'em. I definitely want a rematch."

"Sure, go ahead and tear 'em up," Sonic waved with a smirk. "That is, IF you don't mind beating up your own neighbors or family members."

"What?" Shifu asked as the Five looked up in alarm.

"When Robotnik takes prisoners, he puts them in a machine he calls a Roboticizer. It turns anything organic into a controllable robot. They're all fully conscious and aware of what they're doing but they have no control of what they're doing."

"Gods…" Tigress breathed with a shake of her head.

"We get those remaining here out of harm's way, that's what we do…" Po said from behind Shifu and the Five, anticipating Tigress's question.

"Panda! What do you think you're doing?" Tigress growled as she moved to his side. "You're hurt; you should be in bed."

"Crisis going on, Tigress, no time for resting," Po shook his head with a look of determination. "'Sides, tis but a flesh wound," He said, slapping his bandaged chest and flinching at the contact.

"Idiot…" Tigress growled, placing a hand on his back and another on his arm to help steady him.

"Master Panda's right, though. If he can make prisoners into soldiers, we need to get the villagers as far away as possible," Shifu nodded before turning to the Princess. "Any aid your people can give to our evacuation would be greatly appreciated."

Sally nodded and pulled out her handheld. "Nicole, connect me with my brother."

A moment later, a hologram of a tall, redheaded fox in a blue uniform and crown appeared. "Hello, Sally, how goes the recon?" King Elias asked with a smile.

"Not so well…" Sally smiled tightly before explaining the situation to her brother.

"I see…" Elias scratched his chin. "Tails, can you deroboticize the valley citizens?"

"It wouldn't be that hard as long as the control device is shut off or destroyed," Tails spoke up from Sonic and Knuckles' sides. "But even if we had Sonic use the Emeralds, it would be difficult to find it. Knowing Eggman, he's got it in the central-most part of his Egg-carrier."

"Then, an evacuation would be the best course… but…" Elias bit his lower lip before continuing. "Hamlin took majority of the Hovership fleet for a relief effort to the earthquake in Downunda."

"Do we have any ships left?" Sally asked hopefully.

"We have four grounded for repairs and refurbishing," Elias nodded, "I'll cancel the refurbishing for now and get Sir Charles, Sir Jules, and Rotor to help get the ships skyworthy and have them to you as soon as we can. Do you want me to send the rest of the Freedom Fighters for support?"

"No, I don't want to leave New Mobotropolis too vulnerable," Sally shook her head, "Get those ships to us, the sooner the better. Thank you, Brother."

"Will do, Sis," Elias glanced to the hedgehog. "Sonic… Keep her safe." He said, and Sonic wordlessly gave a thumbs-up and a wink.

"We need to start getting better defenses, preferably metallic," Sally stated, closing down Nicole. "Just in case the Robians get here before the Hoverships. Sonic, think you can retrieve the Chaos Emeralds? Robotnik's acting really serious on this one, so we might have get _super_ serious back."

"No promises, but I'll get on it, Sal," Sonic nodded before disappearing in a burst of speed.

"Think your flying ship can get me up north?" Po asked, interrupting Sally train of thought.

"Huh? The Tornado?" Sally asked, glancing from the plane back to the Dragon Warrior. "Sure, I guess, but should you be traveling so much with that wound?" She asked, and the Five nodded in agreement.

"I need to get to New Chor Ghom," Po stated, and Shifu and the Five jumped in shock.

"WHAT?" Shifu snapped at the Panda.

"Hopefully, this Robotnik guy hasn't gotten there yet. Tai Lung deserves more than to be a sitting duck chained up in a prison cell ripe for Robotnik's picking," Po stated with a firm nod. "Besides, he was bad enough the last time… I don't want to think what he'd be like as a robot…"

"Panda, he wants you dead more than anything," Tigress hissed, "And you're barely able to stand on your own, right now. He'll KILL you…"

"No, he won't." Po shook his head and glanced to Shifu. "He wants to beat me first THEN kill me. He won't attack me when I'm not at one hundred percent. He wants to prove he's better than me, not take a handed victory."

"Master Panda's right," Shifu nodded, "Master Monkey and one of Princess Sally's best fighters will accompany Po to the prison. That is, if you can spare one, Your Highness…" he paused for Sally's nodded response. "I just hope you know what you're doing, Panda…"

"Hey, never know… Maybe I can aim him toward Robotnik. I doubt his robots will be able to stop him, and he'll definitely distract them." Po smiled.

"Master, I'd…" Tigress started, still holding onto the panda's arm.

"You may not," Shifu said in a dismissive tone. "Remember our conversation earlier, Master Tigress?"

"Yes, Master…" Tigress nodded, "Watch yourself, Panda, you beat him once, but he's still dangerous…"

"Didn't know you cared, Tigress," Po winked playfully, earning a scowl from the tiger.

"Tails, do you care to fly them where they need to go?" Sally asked the twin-tailed fox, who saluted excitedly then sped toward the cockpit of the plane. "Julie-Su, you stick with the Panda. If things get hairy, you can contact me through Nicole, and I'll send reinforcements by Sonic."

"You got it, Sally," Julie-Su nodded and checked her plasma gun before running toward the jet.

"I've got him, Tigress," Monkey said as he came up to Po's side.

Tigress nodded and slid behind Po's back where he couldn't see to whisper to Monkey. "If Tai Lung flexes a whisker, get Po out of there…"

"Don't worry," Monkey whispered back, "We're just going to cut a known psychopath Kung Fu Master loose, what's the worst that could happen?"

The remaining group watched as the Tornado took off and flew north, unaware of a set of dark red eyes watching carefully from the rooftop of the Palace. The dark-furred Hedgehog narrowed his eyes before glancing toward the fading aircraft. "Chaos… Cont-" and in a flash he was gone.

"Alright, Guys, let's get to… Knuckles, where'd Rouge go?" Sally blinked as she looked around.

Knuckles frowned and glanced to Shifu. "Do you have any treasure here?"

---

"I grew up with a group called the Dark Legion…" Julie-Sue said, rubbing her arms as she followed Monkey and Po through the dark corridors of New Chor Ghom prison. "Even with that, this place makes my skin crawl…"

"A not-nice place for a not-nice person," Monkey pointed out as he walked on all fours beside the slightly limping Dragon Warrior.

"He's not that bad," Po said softly, "He just wanted something so bad and pushed himself too hard for it… We've all been there." Po stopped at a large metal wall. "And here we are… Monkey, would you please…" Po said as he and Monkey grabbed two handles on either side of the wall.

"One and two and…" He counted before they pulled the handles at the same time, which caused the several feet-thick wall to rise, revealing a one-armed snow leopard with over a hundred chains tied tightly to his body and connecting to every wall, the floor, and ceiling of the cell.

"You're early, Panda…" Tai Lung opened his cold, angry eyes. "And Shifu didn't come this month?"

Tai Lung then cut his eyes to Po's simian companion. "Master Monkey, how's your chest doing?"

"Much better now, thank you for asking," Monkey said awkwardly.

He finally settled on the female half-cybernetic echidna. "Aw, did you get a girlfriend, Panda? Bring her to meet your old pal? She's rather small; better watch sleeping with him. If he rolls over in his sleep, it'd be a very nasty way to go…"

"He's trying to get a rise out of you, Julie-Su, don't listen to him," Po said to the former Dark Legionnaire. "I know you're not evil, Tai Lung, and the sooner you agree with me, the sooner we can get you out of this place."

"Ah, here we go again. Oh, I've gone astray, but that doesn't mean it's too late, right?" Tai Lung said with mock excitement. "I just have to backtrack to the fork, take the good road, and then everything will be sunshine and candy. Give me a break! You'd think you and Shifu would come up with some new material for a change…"

"Doesn't mean that isn't true," Julie-Su spoke up heatedly. "It's never too late to turn back."

"Look, Little Ms. Metal Locks, you're what, eighteen years old, nineteen tops?" Tai Lung snarled. "Come back when you're old enough to understand what you're talking about."

Tai Lung's eyes widened when just below his chin, a large hole was blown out of the floor and hot smoke filled his nostrils. "You know how many innocent people this gun of mine's killed?" Julie-Su asked coldly, the hand blaster still trained on Tai Lung's face. "Me neither. I lost count. Sure it's easy to ignore that guilt in the back of your mind from all the lives you've taken or ruined. But it helps you sleep at night knowing you're doing something to make up for it. Life gets a whole lot more meaningful when you start actually doing the right thing instead of sulking in a hole in the wall." She lifted her blaster, staring at the smoke coming from the twin barrels. "You can keep doing what you were doing and wind up back here or worse, or you can use your skills to make up for what you've done. Your call, though."

"Finish it, Julie-Su," Po said with a frown, causing an unfamiliar panic to rise up in the leopard.

Tai Lung closed his eyes as he heard the blaster fire rapidly. After several moments, he reopened his eyes and was shocked to find himself uninjured but all his chains blasted loose. "What?"

"You're free to go; I'm pardoning you, right now. One of the awesome perks of being the Dragon Warrior…" Po said, favoring his chest.

Tai Lung looked somewhat timid as he studied the severed chains, Po, Monkey, and Julie-Su. "We got bigger problems right now, and if you ever decide to help us, we'll more than welcome the help. If you want a rematch…" Po flashed a smile. "At least give me time to get the stitches out of my chest, a'ight?"

A moment later, Tai Lung roared at Po before running out of the cell on toward the exit without even looking back. "I hope you know what you're doing, Po…" Monkey said with a shake of the head.

"Yeah… me, too…" Po gulped.

---

Tai Lung ran for some time, unsure how long he was actually going, but he finally stopped on the peak of a mountain overlooking the prison from which he had been freed… freed by his most hated enemy. It didn't make sense to him. "Why did you do that, Panda?" Tai Lung growled out, flexing his remaining fist, remembering the pain Po inflicted with the Wuxi Finger Hold, which took his hand and arm and a large part of his shoulder. The same pampered, spoiled 'Dragon Warrior' Panda who accompanied his backstabbing former master on a monthly basis trying to 'rehabilitate' him.

Was this another test? "What are you up to, Shifu?" Tai Lung snarled with narrowed eyes.

"It is not Shifu you should be worried about," a voice behind Tai Lung spoke softly, almost growling in the shadows. "You are always first defeated by yourself before you are beaten by anyone else."

Tai Lung spun on his heel and snarled at his intruder, which, he discovered, was a rather short, black hedgehog with red highlights on his spiked quills and white fur on his chest. He had hard, almost glowing red eyes, and a cold, emotionless expression on his face. "So, you are the much debated Tai Lung, Master of the One Thousand Scrolls of Kung Fu."

"And you must be… dead!" Tai Lung snapped before diving toward the Hedgehog.

The black hedgehog watched passively as the larger leopard barreled toward him. "CHAAAOOS…" He chanted as Tai Lung lunged toward him and met nothing but stony earth.

"What?" Tai Lung growled, looking around for his opponent.

"CONTROL!" Shifu's former student heard from directly above him before two red shoes stomped the top of his head back to the ground before leaping off to stand a short distance away.

"You are skilled, but you lack discipline," the Hedgehog stated, watching as the Leopard climbed back to his feet.

"Who are you?" Tai Lung snarled.

"I am Shadow the Hedgehog. Now…" Shadow said, motioning with his fingers for him to 'bring it'. "Show me what you can do."

**To Be Continued…**

Next chapter: Tai Lung vs. Shadow the Hedgehog, Rouge vs. Cream, and Noodle Soup vs. Chili Dogs.

A/N: Sorry for the delay in getting this out, work and writer's block are not good friends of mine. But, for everyone who has been clammering for Shadow, if the bit in the end wasn't enough, the next chapter should make you happy. And for those who still haven't figured it out, this is a crossover with the Archie Comics version of Sonic the Hedgehog with some refs from the games. And if you haven't already, check out the fic that really inspired me to try my hand at the Kung Fu Panda fandom, Luna Goldsun's classic in the making "Memoirs of a Master." Hands down, it is one of the best reads on the site. That is all. Don't forget to drop a review! Cowboy Up!


	4. Chapter 4

**I know this has been in several authors notes of several fics already but if you haven't seen KFP2 yet, what are you waiting for? go! watch it! This fic will be waiting for you when you get back! anyway... sorry for the delay, hope you enjoy the story, and don't forget to review!**

**Chapter 4: Thunder and Lightning**

"What are you up to, Shifu?" Tai Lung snarled with narrowed eyes.

"It is not Shifu you should be worried about," a voice behind Tai Lung spoke softly, almost growling in the shadows. "You are always first defeated by yourself before you are beaten by anyone else."

Tai Lung spun on his heel and snarled at his intruder, which he discovered was a rather short, black hedgehog with red highlights on his spiked quills and white fur on his chest, hard, almost glowing red eyes, and a cold, emotionless expression on his face. "So you are the much debated Tai Lung, Master of the One Thousand Scrolls of Kung Fu."

"And you must be … dead!" Tai Lung snapped before diving toward the Hedgehog.

The black hedgehog watched passively as the larger leopard barreled toward him. "CHAAAOOS…" He chanted as Tai Lung lunged toward him, but met nothing but stony earth.

"Wha?" Tai Lung growled, looking around for his opponent.

"CONTROL!" Shifu's former student heard from directly above him before two red shoes stomped on the top of his head. He forced the leopard's head back to the ground before leaping off to stand a short distance away.

"You are skilled, but you lack discipline," the Hedgehog stated, watching as the Leopard climbed back to his feet.

"Who are you?" Tai Lung snarled.

"I am Shadow the Hedgehog. Now …" Shadow said, motioning with his fingers for him to 'come on'. "Show me what you can do."

Tai Lung snarled at the small rodent before diving and, much to his irritation, he only slashed the ground. "Stop running, coward, and fight me!"

"Coward?" the hedgehog's red eyes narrowed on the snow leopard. "If you wish to be serious, then let's …" the hedgehog disappeared in a flash of speed before his fist slammed into Tai Lung's jaws ending him twirling to the side only to be met by another fist that sent him stumbling in the other direction.

Tai Lung spat out a bit of blood as he stabled himself. "You can do more than jump around then?" he smiled.

He watched as Shadow crotched down and began to spin in a ball. The hedgehog flew at the leopard with intense speed but this time he was ready for him. Tai Lung planted his remaining front paw to the ground and swung up with both feet with perfect timing to slam into the spinning hedgehog like a bat striking a ball.

Shadow flew backward in the air before attempting to right himself. "CHAAAAOOOSS…" he flashed and materialized directly behind the disgraced master. "Contr-UMPH!" he gasped as Tai Lung's elbow hit the center of his ribs.

"Predictable…" Tai Lung turned and towered over the hedgehog.

"As are you…" Shadow smirked back.

"Huh?" Tai Lung looked down to see a grenade strapped to his arm. His eyes widened as he clawed the strap with the claws of his feet then kicked it in the air, but was still thrown back from the force of the explosion.

"You are skilled, Tai Lung, as expected," Shadow crossed his arms a short distance away.

"I am the true Dragon Warrior…" Tai Lung growled.

"No, you are not, but you do have potential for greatness," Shadow stated. "You have full knowledge of Chaos and Control, but they are broken apart, until you master them completely you will never be all you can be."

"Why would you want to help me?" Tai Lung spat.

"Simple: My brother," Shadow said mysteriously. "Come, Tai Lung, you have much to learn…"

Tigress' fists and feet cut through the air as she worked through a kata in rear garden of the Jade Palace. "You've come a long way, Mei Ren," a voice spoke, and Tigress glanced up to see Princess Sally walking toward her.

"That's a name I haven't heard in years…Sally…" Tigress said stopping to turn toward the Princess.

"I always knew you'd become a master," Princess Sally said as stopped before her old friend. "I still remember the first time we met…"

"Good times in a horrible time," Tigress smiled.

"_Maurice!" five year old Princess Sally yelled at the annoying blue hedgehog that kept pulling at her ponytail. _

"_Come along, children," Sir Charles, Maurice's uncle, walked into courtyard where the children were playing. "The Masters from the Jade Palace in China have arrived, and they brought children your ages. As princess it is your job to help them become comfortable here." _

"_Of course, Sir Charles," Sally beamed at the hedgehog knight. _

"_Sweet! Thanks Uncle Chuck!" Maurice smiled brightly. "Fresh meat!" _

"_You behave yourself, young one," Charles scowled at his rambunctious nephew. _

_Maurice and Sally ran along behind Sir Charles as they joined Sally's father King Acorn and the human who sided with them Sir Julian awaiting the group approaching Mobotropolis' gates. _

"_Master Oogway, welcome to Mobotropolis!" King Acorn gave a slight bow to the aged tortoise and his companions. _

"_Thank you, Your Highness," Oogway smiled, "Allow me to introduce you to my students, Master Shifu and his children, Tai Lung and Mei Ren," Oogway motioned to Shifu and Tai Lung who had a young tiger cub giggling on his shoulders. "And also Master Viper and his eldest daughter Jai Li," the large snake bowed and the smaller snake with a ribbon wrapped around her body mimicked her father's movements. _

"_Sally, you and Maurice help them take their things to the guest quarters," King Acorn instructed. _

"_Mei Ren, Jai Li, take our things while we discuss the state of things with the King," Oogway instructed the children. _

_Tai Lung let the young girl down and tapped her tail with his paw. "Don't get into any trouble, runt," Tai Lung smiled. _

"_We'll be good, Gege," Mei Ren said as she and Jai Li shared matching grins, Mei's toothy and Jai showing her tiny fangs. _

"Things were so much simpler back then…" Sally hugged herself.

"I couldn't agree more," Tigress gave a small smile.

"As he was locked up, I'm assuming Tai Lung didn't take not getting the title of Dragon Warrior well…" Sally noted.

"You can… say that…" Tigress replied awkwardly.

"I'm sorry…" Sally said softly, touching her friend's arm. "If you ever want to talk…"

"I'll come, but I'm fine, really," Tigress pressed.

"Also, you and the Dragon Warrior?" Sally asked with a sly smile causing Tigress' eyes to bulge.

"Wha? The Panda? Po and I? We're… he's… What?" Tigress stammered, struggling to regain her composure.

"He is a big boy," Sally noted, "But he is cute… and don't think I missed how protective you were when he was hurt by Metal Sonic."

"He's an ally and a friend," Tigress forced out, "I'd be the same way if any of my friends were hurt."

Tigress began pacing. "On top of that, he's lazy, he likes to take short cuts in training, he doesn't brush his teeth as often as he really needs to, he couldn't stay focused if his very life depended on it, and…"

"Are you trying to convince me or you?" Sally gave a slight giggle.

"Probably both," Viper slithered up to the two. "Highness," Viper bowed to Sally.

"You too, Viper?" Tigress' crimson eyes widened on the tree snake.

"It's just a common observation," Viper flicked her tongue before glancing to Sally. "Thanks again for the help, Princess."

"I told you years ago, Jai Li, it's just Sally," Sally commented to the snake, but both Tigress and Sally had confused looks when the snake's eyes narrowed slightly.

"My name is Viper now," She replied with an oddly cold hiss.

"Ok…" Sally said awkwardly, "Looks like your boyfriend's back, Master Tigress," Sally winked when she pointed to the Tornado approaching.

"Where did the blue one go?" Viper asked as the trio approached the make-shift landing pad.

"Sonic? He's gone to get an emergency fall back if we need it," Sally replied as they approached the cleared patch near the central temple.

Tails and Julie-Su helped Po and Monkey from the back of the air carrier, and the large panda grinned at his friends.

"How'd it go?" Viper asked as they stopped before them.

"Smooth as my dad's secret ingredient soup!" Po grinned.

Tigress gave him a skeptical look. "Ok, he was really confused about us just letting him go, I think he was expecting us to be setting him up or something."

"Sounds more like it," Tigress crossed her arms, "It's been quiet here since you've been gone."

"Good maybe it'll stay that way," Po sighed, "Could use some breath catching up time…"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Rouge the Bat flew backwards out through the door of the main temple.

"The rabbit's lost her mind!" Rouge stammered as she tried to get back on her feet, only to be knocked back down by a flying kick from Cream.

"We're not done yet," Cream said, taking a fighting stance.

"Silly rabbit, you have no idea who you're messing with…" Rouge growled.

"Then show me, Ms Tissue-Stuffed-Chest," Cream ordered, tossing her long ears behind her head. Rouge threw a punch but to her surprise the rabbit was just not even there. She yelped when a small fist collided hard against her lowest rib then pounded in a series of punches to the abdomen before she was roundhouse kicked away.

"Whoa…" Tails eyes widened as the group watched as Rouge bounced twice before coming to a stop beside the training hall wall.

"Cream! That's enough," Po barked, causing Cream to relax but not release her fighting stance. "Any particular reason for you to attack our friend here?"

"She was trying to steal the display pieces in the Great Hall, Master," Cream said, her eyes not leaving the bat. "I caught her about to grab the Sword of Heroes."

Po's eyes narrowed on the Rouge. "Is that true, Rouge?" Sally asked with her arms crossed.

"I was just… looking…" Rouge said awkwardly, rubbing her sore stomach.

"Yeah right, we know ya better, Rouge," Sonic said, from where he was leaning against Po. "Knux!" He called as his best friend/rival walked up to his own teammate.

"Sonic! You're back," Sally said as Knuckles approached the fearful Rouge menacingly. "Did you get them?"

"All set and ready if we need it," He said patting his backpack.

"Alright, Rouge, as always, this hurts you a lot more than me…" He said grabbing her by her ankles.

"No, no, I didn't grab nothing I didn't…" She was cut off when he lifted from the ground and spun in a circle at top speed. She screamed as weapons and rolled up paintings fell to the ground.

Knuckles let her go and she stumbled along the ground. "I hate it when you do that…" She wheezed, gagging slightly.

"If we didn't need all the help we could get, I'd say do a more proper punishment…" Tigress growled at the bat, "But maybe having her put all the things back where they belong…"

"I'd suggest just letting it go for now," Sonic shrugged, "You really want her back in there with priceless treasure?"

"We have to pack up everything anyway," Cream shrugged, "If we have to evacuate, I'd hate to lose all those treasures."

Po nodded, "Right, right, Cream, take these and start loading up the rest of the Memorabilia of Awesomeness."

Cream bowed to her master, then went about picking up the various weapons and items Rouge tried to get away with. She froze slightly when another hand grabbed hers, both reaching for the same rolled up painting. "Heh…" Tails chuckled as they looked up and locked eyes. "Um… can I help?"

Cream blinked and glanced back to Po, who nodded with a smile. "Sure… let's go." She grinned, and Tails followed behind with a goofy smile.

Po smiled brightly and clapped his hands. "Alright, who's hungry?"

Sonic zipped back up to him, and slapped his back. "Now you're talkin' my language, Rollie!"

- KFP/STH-

"You're in for a rare treat," Viper said as she sat with the gathered Freedom Fighters, Furious Five, and Master Shifu.

"Oh?" Sonic asked, glancing from where he was seated with Sally.

"Po is one of the best cooks in all of China, his father is even better," Tigress complimented watching the panda and goose work in perfect harmony around the small stove of the Jade Temple's small kitchen. "We're about to receive a meal from them both."

"Awesome, where's his dad?" Sonic asked, looking around the kitchen.

"That's his dad there," Mantis nodded to the pair.

"That's … a goose…" Sonic looked perplexed, "I'm not seeing much goose in Tubby…"

"Sonic! Be polite," Sally snapped.

"Hey, Sal, cool down, I'm just stating obvious," Sonic shrugged, "He doesn't think he was hatched does he? It would so suck to be his mom if he was…" His eyes widened and he yelped when Sally's heel came down on his foot.

"Alright! Soups on!" Po and Mr. Ping came with bowls of noodle soup on their arms, and effortlessly placed them and a clean pair of chopsticks before each of the group.

Shifu and the Five effortlessly dug in as well as most of the Chaotix and Freedom Fighters. All but Sonic who quizzically looked at the two odd sticks in his hands.

He started out trying to stab the noodles but did little but made a small mess on the table. He then put the sticks together and tried to use them as a spoon with little more success.

He finally threw the sticks over his shoulder and picked the bowl up in his hands and took a long sip of juice and noodles. He said it down with disgusted look on his face. "This stuff sucks, got any Chili Dogs?"

"Sonic!" Sally gasped, but the damage was done.

Mr. Ping looked scandalized and Po was giving a glare that would put Tigress to shame.

"I'm sorry it doesn't meet your standards," Po said, glaring daggers at the hedgehog. "I'm sorry everything here seems below your par."

"Apology accepted," Sonic sat back with a smirk, "Now bout those Chili Dogs."

"I want to know what your problem is," Po said leaning across the table, his green eyes burning. "Ever since you got here all you've done is put us down."

"No I haven't," Sonic said tilting his head, "The Furious Five are pretty bad ass; I've just been putting you down."

"Look, Po was it? Right, Po, pal, dude, I mean look at them, and look at you…" Sonic said motioning to the Furious Five then to Po. "One of these is not like the others… granted its equal weight if not off balance…"

"He's earned his place," Monkey said, as the Five glared.

"He doesn't belong here," Sonic said, his eyes growing seriously. "I've fought Buttnik as long as I can remember. He's adapted his robots to fight me. What you're fighting is something I'm certain Shifu and the Five can handle no problem. SWATbots and Badniks are designed to fight fighters who are super fast and super agile. I'm not seeing much of that with you, 'Dragon Warrior'."

"I can hold my own, Blue Boy," Po growled.

"Sure you can, that's why you were laying there in a puddle of blood with Master Kitty freaking out over you when we met," Sonic shrugged, "What were you doing, waiting your time, going to bleed on him and make him rust?"

"If you wish for a demonstration of the Dragon Warrior's skill," Master Shifu broke in, "Perhaps, it is time he provided one."

All eyes were on the aged Master then to the two heroes. "You wanna go, then let's go," Po popped his neck.

"Let's dance," Sonic stood up.

"Oh, this is gonna be good…" Mantis rubbed his fore-claws together excitedly.

Sonic and Po led the group outside of the dining hall; Po paused to check the bandage on his chest while Sonic went a series of paces ahead of him. "Don't think I'm gonna hold back on you, Panda, just because you've got a flesh wound on your chest."

"I am sorry…" Sally said standing beside Tigress as the two heroes stretched and prepared.

"You didn't make your friend offend mine," Tigress said to the princess.

"Oh… I am sorry about that too, but I was talking about Po losing to Sonic in a moment," Sally shrugged.

"Excuse me?" Tigress narrowed her eyes.

"You honestly don't think he can win, do you?" Sally asked glancing from Po to Sonic, "Po may be powerful but no way he can keep up with Sonic. Power means nothing if you can't hit your target."

"It's Sonic who can't win," Tigress gave a light growl, "A little blue pincushionis no match for the Dragon Warrior."

"Please, Sonic eats dragons for breakfast," Sally rolled her eyes.

"You'd be frightened to know what all Po eats for breakfast," Tigress growled back, but hesitated a moment after. "…you really would."

"Take him down, Sonic!" Sally cheered, and Sonic gave her a dramatic bow.

"Po!" Tigress barked, drawing the Dragon Warrior's attention. "Skadoosh," She said with a nod, earning a grin from the panda.

Shifu smiled himself at his students before growing serious. "Put whatever harsh feelings you have for each other in this dual. Once it's over let it be over." Shifu ordered the two.

Sonic took a runner's stance while Po began moving his feet and arms in a fluid motion with his eyes closed.

"Begin!" Shifu yelled, and Sonic began to spin in place, making a loud revving sound, Po continued to make his movements while Sonic's quills began to glow a light blue.

Sonic released himself and he flew at the panda with his ultimate attack, the Light-Speed Dash. Then to the hedgehog's surprised instead of striking the Dragon Warrior he felt himself being lifted and spun around before being released in another direction. He impacted a stone wall and sat there dazed a moment, just staring at the Panda glaring right back in a fighting stance. "Ready to give it up, Spike?"

"Oh, I'm just getting started…" Sonic said, getting back to his feet.

"Awesome…" Po said as the two ran toward one another.

Sonic slid between Po's legs and tried to make a upward spinning kick, but Po spun around and blocked it with one arm, throwing a punch with his other that Sonic just barely dodged.

"He's quicker than he looks…" Sally blinked watching the fight continue. Tigress said nothing, simply watched the pair trade blows and kicks.

Sonic and Po paused in their fighting for a moment, glaring at each other but smiles on their faces. "Ok, so maybe I underestimated you, just a little…" Sonic said, his eyes dancing with excitement.

"Yeah, you might just be able to back up that big mouth with bit of skill there," Po replied, his own eyes holding the same thrill as Sonic.

Sonic shot forward, launching a upper cut connecting with Po's jaw, but the Dragon Warrior pushed through the daze to come around and catch the hedgehog in the ribs, and the war continued.

Punch, evade, punch, kick, parry, dodge, block, the war went on and on with neither giving an inch. "Do you surrender?" Po gasped, breathing hard.

"NEVER!" Sonic breathed back, with one knee on the ground, and gasping for breath.

"Hey… where'd everybody go?" Po asked, glancing to the side.

"Oh, yeah right!" Sonic growled, "Like I'm going to fall for the oldest trick in the book? … Where is everybody?" he asked noticing the only ones left were Sally who was laying on the ground on her side, snoring softly and Tigress sitting lotus style beside her meditating.

"They lost interest after the four hour mark… three hours ago," Tigress said, opening one eye. "It's three in the morning, are you two ready to go to bed yet? If not I'm done with you."

"…To be continued?" Sonic asked, glancing to the Dragon Warrior.

"To be continued." Po nodded.

**To Be Continued… **

"_Just as well, I was just about to finish you, Tubby,"_

"Dream on, Spikes-for-brains, I was about to unleash such awesomeness you were going to be blinded for life."

"_I saw your butt-crack a few times in the fight, dude, it's a wonder I wasn't blinded for life from that…"_


End file.
